Colonel Tyson K. Wetzel Col. Tyson K. Wetzel is the Commander, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He commands the U.S. Air Force’s sole service intelligence center, comprised of four operational groups, five directorates, 17 squadrons, and nearly 3,800 military, civilians, and contractors globally. He executes a $740 million operational budget and oversees a $2.3 billion Center responsible for producing scientific and technical intelligence to inform policymakers, major acquisition programs, and operational warfighters. Col. Wetzel received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Redlands, California, in 2000 and commissioned through Officer Training School in 2003. A career intelligence officer, he served and commanded in a variety of intelligence and strategy assignments, to include Special Advisor to the Joint Staff Director for Intelligence for the Korea problem set and global ISR collection operations, and was an outstanding graduate and instructor at the United States Air Force Weapon School. Col. Wetzel deployed multiple times in support of combat operations. Prior to his current position, Col. Wetzel was the Commander of 691st ISR Group, 70 ISR Wing, Fort Meade, Maryland. EDUCATION 2000 Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, University of Redlands, Calif. 2003 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2004 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2007 United States Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. (Outstanding Graduate) 2009 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2015 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence 2017 Masters of Military Science, Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va. (Distinguished Graduate) 2019 Joint and Combined Warfighting School, Joint Forces Staff College, Hampton Roads, Va. ASSIGNMENTS 1. May 2004-November 2004, Student, Intelligence Officer Course, 315th Training Squadron, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas 2. November 2004-June 2007, Chief of Intelligence Training, 33rd Operations Support Squadron, then Chief of Intelligence, 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla. 3. June-December 2007, Student, 19th Weapons Squadron, United States Air Force Weapons School, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev. 4. January 2008- January 2009, Chief of Intelligence Operations, 8th Operations Support Squadron, 8th Fighter Wing, Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea 5. February 2009- November 2011, Chief of Intelligence Operations, 1st Operations Group, 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. (June 2009-January 2010, Intelligence Weapons Officer, 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq) 6. December 2011-June 2015, Instructor and Flight Commander, then Assistant Director of Operations, 19th Weapons Squadron; Executive Officer to Commandant, then Chief of Threats and ISR, United States Air Force Weapons School, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nev. (June-December 2013, Chief of ISR Planning, Combined Air Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar) 7. July 2015-July 2016, Director of Operations, 8th Intelligence Squadron, 692nd ISR Group, 480th ISR Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii 8. August 2016-June 2017, Student, United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. 9. June 2017-June 2019, Chief of the Intelligence Strategy, Doctrine, and Policy Branch, then Special Advisor to the Director for Intelligence, the Joint Staff, Pentagon, Va. 10. June 2019-July 2021, Commander, 32nd Intelligence Squadron, 707th ISR Group, 70th ISR Wing, Fort Meade, Md. 11. August 2021-June 2022, Department of the Air Force Fellow, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, the Atlantic Council, Washington, D.C. 12. July 2022-May 2023, Deputy Director of ISR, 7th Air Force, Osan AB, Republic of Korea 13. June 2023-June 2024 Director of ISR, 7th Air Force and Deputy Director of ISR for the Combined Air Component Command, Osan AB, Republic of Korea 14. June 2024-July 2026, Commander, 691st ISR Group, 70 ISR Wing, Fort Meade, Md. 15. July 2026 – Present, Commander, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 2017-June 2019, Chief of the Intelligence Strategy, Doctrine, and Policy Branch, then Special Advisor to the Director for Intelligence, the Joint Staff, Pentagon, Va. as a major and lieutenant colonel MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Defense Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters Joint Service Achievement Medal Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf cluster EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant Dec. 19, 2003 First Lieutenant Dec. 19, 2005 Captain Dec. 19, 2007 Major Dec. 1, 2013 Lieutenant Colonel Nov. 1, 2017 Colonel June 1, 2023 (Current as of June 2026)